Phase II trials are proposed now to confirm that low-doses,intermittent regiments of butyrate produce hematolic efficacy in larger sample sizes. There is no standard therapy for thalassemia. In some patients, continued expression of small amounts of fetal globin has completely prevented clinical disease in these disorders, suggesting that, continued expression of the adult fetal globin gene after birth will prevent manifestations of disease. Chemotherapeutic agents are toxic in children. The aim of this proposal is to apply a new class of compound, isobutyramide, an analogue of butyric acid, to reactivate the fetal globin gene expression.